Turn A Coat Closet Into Toy Storage, step by step
The closet next to our front door was an obvious place for our coat closet when we first moved in. But since our definition of “coat closet” seems to include random stuff like cleaning supplies (vacuum, dust buster, etc) as well as miscellaneous files and bags, we swiftly realized that it was smarter for us to use the deeper closet under the stairs for that stuff instead. It is slightly closer to the garage anyways, so it is in fact a more convenient spot for daily coat access (not that I am ready to admit summer’s over yet).
But that left this lonely guy next to the door without a job to do. And what is the opposite of having a job? Playing with toys. That is what.
Well, not so much playing with them as storing them. I will get to the “why?” of this toy closet in a moment, but let me start with the “how?” since it was kind of lacking in the shelving department. We considered building some more shelves like the existing one up top (i.e. nailing wood braces to the wall and resting a board on top). But we chose we hoped something with more flexibility (so that we could alter the shelf spacing over time). So after perusing the options at a couple of stores, we landed on this Rubbermaid option at Home Depot (but with wood shelves, not wire ones).
Installation was fairly straightforward. Pun intended, since you do have to be careful about keeping your tracks straight and level when hanging them so your shelves do not look all wonky. I used my laser level to assist me mark my drill spots so they lined up and the shelves would be pleasant and straight.
Rubbermaid sells a hardware pack that comes with anchors and screws, so it was kind of a no brainer. I simply drilled a hole in the wall at each spot, tapped in the anchor, and then screwed the track securely in place.
When placing the second track I again hoped to make sure it was level with the first. Do not mind the green slime on my yardstick. It was a victim of this paint spill in the garage.
Once both tracks were in place, I clipped in the brackets and rested the shelves right on top of them. Our closet was simply an inch-ish narrower than the 36″ stock white shelf they sold, so it did require a swift cut on the table saw for each one.
Certainly not the sexiest shelving unit I have ever laid eyes on, but considering it took me about an hour to install and it’ll be behind a closed door most of the time, we are satisfied customers. Especially since it made this closet approximately 89.542% more functional, and we can move the shelves to be closer together or further apart, depending on what we are storing. Here is the cost breakdown:
- Four 12″ x 36″ shelves: $14
- Eight 12″ brackets: $28
- Two 48″ twin tracks: $13
- Two hardware packs: $4
- TOTAL: $59
With “construction” done, Sherry gave the existing blue shelf and baseboard a couple coats of white primer and paint and then loaded in the toys after everything dried.
We know some of you might be scratching your head at this. A toy closet in the foyer? And with things she cannot even reach? Plus, where can I get one of those panda hats? Well hang on to your bear-less heads, for I will explain…
Clara’s at an age where it is tough for more than a few go-to toys (like her play kitchen or her dolls) to keep her interest for more than a minute or two. So she can be that typical three-year-old tornado that burns through an whole jumbled basket of cars, balls, puzzles, and games in five minutes. We also have a few things that we do not keep readily accessible to her since they are supervised activities, like painting, markers, play-doh, etc. So that is where the idea for this toy closet, er, toy library comes in. We figured we could still keep a basket of her go-to toys out in a few rooms where she plays (along with larger things like her dollhouse and play kitchen) but the rest of those easily-dumped-and-ditched items might feel more special and exciting to her if they are not consistently jumbled up in a basket that is right under her nose.
We call it a “library” because it is meant to have the same effect that library books have on her versus the books that we have around all the time. Library books seem special and new, keeping her excited and attentive longer. So we have taken a bunch of her existing toys and activities out of the everyday access spots and organized them in this closet (which is centrally located, so it is in fact a convenient spot). Here is how it works:
- Clara frequently plays with a few go-to toys that are still out in baskets, but if she decides she’d like something from the closet, she simply asks us and we assist her get the item that she wants
- She can only “check one thing out” at a time, so one thing must be returned before another is taken out (this is already truly inspiring her to clean things up before asking for something else)
- We hope this will work for us long-term (growing up Sherry and I both had a closet with shelves full of board games and movies, so we think even for older kids this could come in handy – especially since we can adjust the shelf spacing).
We debated organizing with cute image or photo labels (since Clara cannot read the words yet) but since it is a grown-up guided activity (meaning we will be the ones getting things off most of the shelves for a long time since they are out of her reach anyway), we stuck with text labels for now. Sherry even repurposed a frame to make a little “menu” of what is inside so she can swiftly offer up some suggestions to Clara without digging through all the baskets and bins to remember what is in there.
The toy library closet has in fact been in use for a couple of weeks now (we hoped to wait to report on how it is working for us – simply in case it was a large bust and we chose it was a better tool closet or something), and so far it is working even better than expected. I sort of anticipated this being one of those “a 3 year old will not bend to your need for systems and order, Petersik!” moments but Clara in fact loves it. It seems to be helping with her attention span and how long she plays with things (we have had a couple marathon marker coloring sessions lately) – and it is certainly helping her better grasp the concept of cleaning up one mess before making another.
So yes, we may be the weirdos who greet our guests with a basket of finger paints and an over-sized dinosaur puzzle, but the former library employee in me is quite proud of our little closet. Ooooh, perhaps we should make library cards?! Too far, Petersik. Too far.
If you are In the mood to peruse more shelf projects and ideas, this post has a collection of 16 Hands-on shelving ideas.
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